iPhone 4S for One More Day

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One of my best friends happens to be getting married today, September 22nd. That's iPhone 5 Day + 1. Fortunately for me, I was successful in completing a preorder via apple.com thus receiving both his and her iPhone 5(s) on the morning of the 21st. Incase you're wondering, I ordered a white 64gb for myself and a 32gb black for my wife both of us sticking to our "unlimited data" with AT&T.

For some reason, UPS had my order on two separate trucks. Mine came in first and hers eight minutes later. I chose to setup my wife's first because she deserves the best and I'm a little particular in the way I setup a new iPhone; I don't restore.

Where am i going with this? Ultimately I held off upgrading knowing that i5+1 would be a long day. I would awake at 0700, unplug and not charge until maybe 2200 if not later. That's at least 14 hours of usage. To help me with this day of festivities, I would need my trusted Mophie Juice pack.

Because the iPhone 5 uses a different connector, my $100 battery pack remains incompatible. Because of this reason alone, I chose to stick with my iPhone 4S for one more day.

p.s. The groom upgraded immediately after delivery and during the rehearsal dinner, he ran out of juice. He also neglected to bring the new plug to his hotel so this morning, the day of his wedding, he's stuck at 0%.

p.s.s. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple's new connector. It's so thin it even had a handle. I can't wait to see how Mophie makes their next battery pack.

*update* I mentioned that the groom has no charge on his iPhone 5. Now we have found out that it's not taking a charge at all. He's going to be phone less for today and his honeymoon. What's up Apple? Defect in the cable or phone? No time to figure it out. The wedding is in 45 mins.

Why No NFC?

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Why NFC still isn't on an Apple's latest iDevice?

NFC has not delivered, and Apple has no incentive to change that. By shipping NFC in the current climate, Apple would implicitly take responsibility for making that technology a success.

The only people who I ever hear complain about its absence or tout the NFC features in some of today's Android devices are those that are heavily into technology. Otherwise, the average joe / plain jane just doesn't give a hoot. Even with Starbucks implementing their mobile apps and scanners, besides me, I have yet to see the morning customer use their phone to pay.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for advancing NFC but it seem like WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0 is getting the job done.

via Apple Outsider

Google Getting It Right

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Even without using the device, I can already feel Jeff Bezos squirming in his chair at Amazon. I wonder what Apple's play will be this fall now that the new price point is $199! Because of Google Now, I'm even intrigued to give it a shot. Joshua Topolsky on The Verge

"The Nexus 7 delivers way more functionality than I expected, and it delivers it in a package that’s sleek, smart, and affordably priced. Believe it or not, the last time I was surprised by a product with those same qualities, it was called the iPad."

Google's Nexus 7 Review | The Verge

'And there's a lot more to it than hardware'

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One of the most comprehensive reviews EVER of the next-generation MacBook Pro with Retina display by a trusted source we have all come to know and love since the early 90s. I actually like the abbreviation rMBP too!

After using it for the past two weeks I can honestly say it’s the best Mac Apple has ever built. And there’s a lot more to it than hardware.

The next-gen MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review by Anand Lal Shimpi

And today, after it's debut almost two weeks ago, shipping times at apple.com are still showing 3-4 weeks out!

How and why...

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"How did you become a pilot? Did you become an airline pilot via the military?" These are two of the most asked questions that I get when among friends or at the airport in uniform. Since @TimChoi89 asked them a while back via a comment on "4 on, two off, 4 on – part 2 / my printed schedule after the fact" and my response wasn't posted (error maybe or private, bugs, lost on the internet...) I decided that I'd answer them with a brand new post.  It's Friday, the 13th and raining so why not.

The second question is easy; no, I did not have a military background.  I did originally look at the Navy after graduating UCSD but flight slots were too few and in demand making my chances slim to none.  I also wear some thick eye glasses so that was another obstacle in and of itself.  I can't say that I looked into the other military branches as I grew up in San Diego.  My father and uncles too were all in the U.S. Navy so yes, I was blinded and partial in my decision.  It's Top Gun U.S.A.!  That leads me to the first question which is a lot more complicated.

I started flying as a hobby after I graduated college in '03.  It was also a time in my life where I was started to feel compelled to "do something else."  I started taking lessons and thought that I was going to make it a side project, maybe instruct or fly people around for fun.  I started receiving AOPA Flight Training Magazine and in it had ads scattered throughout boasting various flight schools and programs that could lead one to a commercial airline job.  I thought to myself, "Why not?"  I read about a few schools at the same time  deciding if I really wanted to do a post-bac and go to med school.  I ended up choosing an advanced ab-initio program which gave me a jet type rating along with whoever else I needed to get hired.  The program was launched and closely associated with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and called CAPT (Commercial Airline Pilot Training).  Unfortunately, while the program and its vision remained idealistic, fuel costs and enrollment coupled with a downward spiraling economy led the university to sell it off to the private corporation, FTSI, which has since then closed its doors.  (Phases out / FTSI New Release)   I was in the middle of the program when they accounted its transition but they promised to make good on their word and see us to the end.

I graduated in May of 2006 after 16 months of training and was offered a job with Focus Airlines.  They operated as an ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) 747 cargo carrier and their contract with CAPT was extensive; totaling a five year commitment, the first year one would serve as a "cadet" placed in the office helping with various tasks from scheduling, hotel reservations, tech publications, IT, etc. basically an intern type year learning the ins and out.  The second year would entail upgrading to the second officer / flight engineer position on a classic 747 followed by three years as a first officer.  Unfortunately, this program ended when the first couple of CAPT cadets were not allowed to upgrade to first officers alongside the face that Focus Airlines never had a program in place.  Coincidentally, Atlantic Southeast Airlines (now officially called ExpressJet) was in the beginning stages of a hiring spree and our amazing director helped us get an interview. I scored my first flying job and the rest is history.  Knowing and keeping ties along with timing is key in this industry and it panned out.

It's funny how people end up visiting my site.  Mr. Tim ended up here,"...by searching "the verge vs. gdgt" then I stumbled upon your twitpic and saw that you're a pilot + tech enthusiast..."  Thanks for stopping by Tim and keep the questions coming.

iTunes and the Necessary Tune up

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Jason Snell over at Macworld wrote a great article yesterday stating the obvious flaws with the current syncing nightmare that iTunes has become. Not only does it want to delete your apps, shuffle them around or hinder the user from an elegant solution, it crashes, is buggy and houses a rather large library consuming gigabytes upon gigabytes of hard drive space.  People all over the tech industry is in agreement and I've been known to call it the DLL hell of Apple.

He calls is for a time to simplify which entails creating separate distinct apps creating iOS apps, movies, music and syncing programs.  I'll agree and say that a syncing app would make sense but then why would I want to open up another application?  It seems "easy" enough to remove the syncing tab all together and create an app but the original picture was a set it and forget it method. In other words, one app to control all.  Would this strategy be going backwards in time?  Apple employees can't be happy with the current state of iTunes. What would you do?

My 2012 iPad Story (updated)

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Last Wednesday I was working during the event but throughout the day, I followed the news through gdgt's awesome feed. Eager as always, I wanted to know when (Mar 16th), what the specifications were and if I should do Wifi only or add 4G cellular capability. After a 20 hour day, I arrived home and my wife and I made our pre-order. It would my wife's delayed Christmas gift to me.  I told her that I chose a Black 32GB Wifi-4G version.  Surprisingly, she asked why I didn't get 64GB and I told her that I didn't want to spend her money but I also didn't want to change it just in case I lost my spot. The last detail in the order was that I wanted to do a store pickup in Miami (I live in San Diego) because that's where I'd be the morning of iPad Day. You see, there's a bunch of us in Miami celebrating one of my best friend's Match Day. It's a time to celebrate right? I swear it was the longest week and half of waiting. I skipped the iPad 2 after selling my iPad 1 prematurely and this was it. I woke up, dropped of my friend at his breakfast ceremony and proceed to Lincoln Road Apple Store. I found some easy parking, arrived at the store and got right in. The sales representative was more than helpful and the whole process was one of the best purchasing experiences I ever had. Interaction and everything, A++. My order was easily modified exchanging my previous pre-order to the Black 64GB Wifi+4G Verizon LTE (with the wife's permission) and I even added a Black 16GB Wifi-4G Verizon LTE for my loving wife as a surprise AND an Apple TV for the Match Day celebrant. It was to be his gift for finishing an awesome 4 years at the University of Miami Medical School.

I checked out while making a new friend, grabbed a Cuban coffee + 8 guava pastilitos and even gave my 2 hour parking ticket to a guy who parked in front of me who was looking for his wallet. Paying it forward right? I'm in a GREAT mood!

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I received a request from my wife to buy some Tylenol and on the way to the pharmacy, I passed multiple gas stations but ultimately made the decision to go to a CVS. It took almost 15 minutes to find parking, and the machine also didn't want to spit out my ticket after inserting $1.00 cash. I used my credit card and ran into CVS. I bought two bottles of Tylenol (buy one get one free) and picked up some Visine too.

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I got back to the car, started the engine, and curiously turned around because I was hearing the car's exhaust louder than normal. Low and behold, both iPads and the Apple TV were stolen! Not even my friend's brand new Macy's Long Sleeve Shirt was grabbed or anything else but the Apple bag full of the latest goodness.

I called 911, they directed me to a local police station, they came, wrote up the report, which I have to pay $1 for a copy in 10 days, and took off. Someone was going to come and take fingerprints but it started raining so they canceled that. All this was happening around 10:30am off of 3rd and Biscayne in Miami. I needed to be at the Match Ceremony by 11:45am. Now my friends' Toyota Tacoma has a broken rear passenger window ($150 part + $100 labor) and I have no iPads or Apple TV to give him.

The emotions that I'm feeling: Hate, forgiveness, frustration, stupidity...I really don't know what to do. I can't afford to buy all that again and the saddest part is that my wife doesn't feel like having one now. That's what makes me cry. In the end, it was about her joy, my friend's joy and now I'm nowhere but in $1900 in debt w/ nothing to play with.

64GB // DLXH96K5DNQV 16GB // LXH60L7DNQR aTV // DY5HC843DRHN

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Answering some questions:

  1. Yes the bag was covered
  2. There was a Macy's bag that was exposed with a long sleeve dress shirt that was left behind
  3. I live in San Diego and it's my own ignorance perhaps that I feel safe
  4. Visa Signature will NOT cover stolen items in an automobile
  5. GEICO will NOT covert stolen personal items in a vehicle
  6. The perpetrators only stole the Apple Bag
  7. The police are saying that I might have been followed or targeted
  8. My wife's NEEDS comes first so the Tylenol was necessary before coming home but maybe I could have dropped the items off first?

iPad 2012 Summary of Reviews

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As of 2100 EDT on the 14th of March, the media embargo from Apple was lifted and the reviews are in. Everyone LOVES the Retina Display and LTE.  I might as well reiterate it again; EVERYONE LOVES THE RETINA DISPLAY!!!

Truth also be told, I'm glad I went with the 32GB Verizon model and can't wait to pick mine up on Friday.  Some have already asked and yes, I might end up asking if I can up it to the 64GB version being that applications are coming in weighing at at least 1.5 times the size and some even up to 5 times larger!  Here are a couple of snippets from the sources that I believe run true to the way that I analyze new hardware, tech and software.

"...it just looks otherworldly; like a glowing piece of paper." - Joshua Topolsky; The Verge

" The new iPad is the most functional, usable, and beautiful tablet that any company has ever produced." - Joshua Topolsky; The Verge

"It has the most spectacular display I have ever seen in a mobile device. ... Using the new display is like getting a new eyeglasses prescription — you suddenly realize what you thought looked sharp before wasn’t nearly as sharp as it could be." - Walt Mossberg; WSJ: All Things D

"Since it launched in 2010, the iPad has been the best tablet on the planet. With the new, third-generation model, it still holds that crown." - Walt Mossberg; WSJ: All Things D

"Reading on the big retina display is pure joy." - Jon Gruber; Daring Fireball

Techcrunch has a great review with pictures detailing the difference in Tweetbots's iOS Twitter client; Retina vs. non-Retina.

Check it out:

Props out to Tapbots for hurrying up the development of Tweetbot for iPad and getting it rushed out into the Apple App Store Ecosystem! SWAG! (you'll be getting my donation in first thing on Friday!)

Here's another close up from The Verge on the difference in screens of non-Retina vs. Retina.

Update 1: One of the newest and one of my personal favorite sites, The Wirecutter, also just posted their tablet recommendation. I've also included The Loop's review as well.

"This is the tablet you want." - Brian X. Chen; The Wirecutter

"The bottom line is that it's the best tablet and everyone who reviews one agrees. And even people who love Android phones kind of can't say much about how Android tablets stack up against the iPad. And unlike with computers or stereos or cameras, you don't really need my help, or anyone else's help, to understand that. So, I will end here." - Brian X. Chen; The Wirecutter

"So, what did I like about the iPad? Simple — the experience. Nobody in the market today can touch the Apple experience." - Jim Dalrymple; The Loop

The Difference Between Us and Them

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An interview with Apple's Senior Vice President of Industrial Design, Sir Jonathan Ive. (via This Is London)

...it’s not about price, schedule or a bizarre marketing goal to appear different - they are corporate goals with scant regard for people who use the product.

I've always thought the "others" had it wrong and Jony hits it precisely on the head.

Evolution vs. Upgrades

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Ryan Block intelligently argues why the next generation iPad (2012) is a buy. I agree 100%. The screen of every touch device is the experience. You see what you get and in this case, you fall in love. via gdgt:

So when a device comes along like the iPad that doesn't just display the application, but actually becomes the application, radically improving its screen radically improves the experience. And when a device's screen is as radically improved as the display in the new iPad, the device itself is fundamentally changed.

Here's a new quote taken from Sir Jonathan Ive, Senior Vice President of Industrial Design at Apple. (via This Is London)

Our goal is simple objects, objects that you can’t imagine any other way. Simplicity is not the absence of clutter. Get it right, and you become closer and more focused on the object. For instance, the iPhoto app we created for the new iPad, it completely consumes you and you forget you are using an iPad.